On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers agreed today that people who live outside the reception network receive information and support from Fedasil. The Council of Ministers approved an action plan and funding for this purpose.

Today, the Council of State ruled that the use of the extreme emergency procedure was justified and that the decision not to offer shelter to single male asylum seekers violates the right to reception that asylum seekers have by law.

The first residents have arrived today in the reception center in Alveringem (West Flanders). These are Syrian families who were resettled from Lebanon.

Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor has decided to temporarily stop receiving single males in the national network for the reception of asylum seekers. Through this decision, the Secretary of State intends to anticipate “the growing influx of families and children to absolutely avoid children ending up on the streets in winter.”

Today, the first residents have arrived in the new reception centre in Walcourt, which can host 49 asylum seekers. Other residents, mainly families, will arrive gradually over the next few days.

In today’s Chamber judgment in the case of Camara v. Belgium, the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 6 (right to a fair hearing) of the European Convention on Human Rights. It could not accept that the time taken by the Belgian authorities in the present case to enforce a court order aimed at protecting human dignity had been reasonable.

Thanks to this collaboration, young people from all over the country will be able to volunteer in the reception centers and young asylum seekers will be able to get involved in society outside the center where they are staying.

Fedasil increases the reception capacity for unaccompanied minors. Mid-April 2023, a new center will be set up in the former hotel ‘Lambermont 322’, located along Boulevard Lambermont in Schaerbeek.

Fedasil funds specific projects every year. In 2023, 16 projects receive national funding, of which 4 projects concern the activation of asylum seekers through employment, and 8 projects benefit from European funding (AMIF).

The Agency invites non-profit organizations, NGOs, cities and municipalities to subscribe to a flexible cooperation agreement with a view to establishing unique partnerships.

From this Wednesday, the three organizations offer immediate hosting in a building located in Anderlecht to applicants who will later be referred to a reception center from Fedasil.

On 24 January 2023, the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Nicole De Moor, attended the Commission for Home Affairs, Security, Migration and Administrative Affairs in regard to the reception challenges Belgium faces regarding applicants for international protection.

In 2022, Fedasil welcomed 71 refugees resettled in Belgium, mostly Syrians from Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. This figure is not in line with the objectives set at the beginning of last year.

On 12 December 2018, the Belgian contact point of the EMN organized its annual asylum and migration policy event in which recent national and EU developments in the field of international protection, legal migration and integration and irregular migration, human trafficking and return were discussed. 

Following the release of its EASO Guidance on reception conditions: operational standards and indicators in December 2016, EASO has just issued the EASO guidance on contingency planning in the context of reception.

The government approved on 24 March 2018 a new reduction plan for reception places for applicants for international protection. Today the reception network consists of 23,815 reception places. This should be reduced to 16,629 reception places in 2019, of which 10,044 collective places and 6,585 individual reception places. With this plan, the network returns to the level preceding the reception crisis.

Today, the Belgian Contact Point of the European Migration Network organized its national conference, which focused on the main developments in the field of migration and asylum that took place in Belgium in 2017.

On the 26th of October 2017 the general policy note on asylum and migration of the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration was published. The policy note provides an overview of the main achievements and priorities in the field of asylum and migration.

The State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration Theo Francken and the Walloon Minister for Employment have signed on 29 August a collaboration agreement intended to foster the socio-professional insertion of asylum seekers.

Today, the restricted Council of Ministers has approved the proposal of the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration to create a single registration centre for asylum seekers in Neder-Over-Heembeek.

Due to the decreasing inflow of asylum seekers in Belgium, the reception network will be gradually decreased and the implementation of the new reception model will be resumed.

Today, the Council of Ministers has approved the proposal of the State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration to gradually reduce the Belgian reception capacity.

On 15th February, a new vaccination campaign has been launched for newly arrived asylum seekers.

Today the European Commission decided to increase the level of cofinancing for the transport of the assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, following activation of the mechanism by Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia.

Following the increase in the number of asylum seekers, the Belgian government approved a series of measures to progressively increase the reception capacity .